°^so Computer communities
VERSION 2.0
Online experience has evolved to include sites where
users can create profiles, network and make new friends
BY DAHVI FISCHER
PULSE REPORTER
Remember the good ol’ days
when people were satisfied
with the simple privileges of
being able to surf the Internet,
check e-mail and talk in chat
rooms? Times have changed and it
appears the Internet has evolved
into much more than a simple com
munication tool. The latest Internet
phenomenon: people building en
tirely digital communities.
While online communities have
been around for quite some time, it
wasn’t until recently that these
communities became a crucial as
pect of many Internet users’ online ex
perience. Online communities are
Web sites people can join (usually for
free) to share pictures, create profiles,
network, search for other users and
make new friends.
University student Stacey Malstrom
believes the popularity of these forms
of community has a lot to do with the
way people live their lives today.
“As peoples’ lives get busier, they
don’t have the time to go out.
■ Reporter's notebook
Buzz's open mic performances
prove entertaining, worthwhile
Campus readings range
in theme from cowboy
poetry to grisly imagery
BY RYAN NYBURG
PULSE EDITOR
There is a big difference between
liking poetry and liking poetry
readings. Poetry is the ultimate
form of written expression, using a
stark economy of words to define
humankind’s innermost emotional
states.
Still, poetry readings are generally
pretentious horse crap, using a wide
range of cliches to define a load of
meaningless drivel. All forms of per
formance art suffer from the same
problem. For every piece of great
work there are a dozen pale imita
tions. Poetry, especially free verse,
has it worse off than most other art
forms. It is so easy to write awful po
etry that the crap tends to flood out
the quality work.
It probably goes without saying
that I went to the open mic poetry
reading at the Buzz with a certain lev
el of cynicism about the whole event.
I came expecting to suffer through the
usual amount of bombastic blandness
I’ve found at previous open mic per
formances, but oddly enough I found
myself pleasantly surprised by how
much I enjoyed the event.
Almost every Monday at 8 p.m. or
whenever enough people show up,
the Buzz reading features a rotating
cast of regular performers from Eu
gene’s semi-venerable poetry com
munity. The atmosphere is similar to
most other poetry readings, only in
stead of wine and cheese there is a
coffee bar. Phrases were occasional
ly punctuated by milk being
Jes Painter performed original work of poetry during an open mic night at the Buzz.
steamed and creamer being asked
for, but otherwise the sound of poet
ry dominated.
Before the performance began,
conversations about radical politics
were tire mainstay, though most of ,
these were hardly worth the trouble of
eavesdropping on. When enough
people had shown up to justify the
whole experience, an enthusiastic
emcee took the stage and introduced
the first act. A few minutes into the
first performance was enough to re
mind me why I make fun of these
things. Every line dripped with worn
out imagery and bland, literal pro
nouncements of underdeveloped po
litical thought. The poems were not
so much poetry as a dull essay on
world affairs by an over enthusiastic
poli-sci major.
POETRY, page 11
These communities are easy ways
for people to socialize. Everything
nowadays is about accessibility
and easibility,” she said.
Leung, who is a member of My
Space, Thefacebook, Live Journal,
Yahoo! Groups and Friendster said
she is very involved with online
communities.
“I think everyone is a bit narcissis
tic,” she said. “You know that when
you post your information, other peo
ple are reading it. I’ve been ap
proached at the U of O by people who
BLOGS, page 11
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